Date:	Monday 30 August 2010
Time:	23:45
Type:	Boeing 747-438
Owner/operator:	Qantas
Registration:	VH-OJP
MSN:	25545/916
Year of manufacture:	1992
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 231
Aircraft damage:	Minor
Category:	Serious incident
Location:	In flight near San Francisco, California -   United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Passenger - Scheduled
Departure airport:	San Francisco International Airport, CA (SFO/KSFO)
Destination airport:	Sydney-Kingsford Smith International Airport, NSW (SYD/YSSY)
Investigating agency:	ATSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
On 30 August 2010 at approximately 2330 Pacific Daylight Time, a Qantas Boeing 747-438 aircraft, registered VH-OJP, departed San Francisco International Airport on a scheduled passenger service to Sydney, Australia. As the aircraft passed through 25,000 ft, the aircraft's number-4 engine failed, resulting in the puncturing of the engine casing and nacelle and the release of debris. The engine was shut down and the flight crew returned the aircraft to San Francisco International Airport. There were no injuries.
An investigation conducted by the engine manufacturer found that the engine failure was initiated by the fatigue fracture of a single stage-2 low pressure (LP) turbine blade. The ensuing rotor imbalance caused the LP turbine bearing to fail, which ultimately resulted in the uncontained release of debris.
As a result of this occurrence, the engine manufacturer released non-modification service bulletins NMSB72-AG729 and NMSB72-AG800; instructing operators of RB211-524 engine variants to fit a more robust LP turbine bearing, so as to reduce the likelihood of catastrophic engine failure resulting from rotor imbalance.

http://www.atsb.gov.au/publications/investigation_reports/2010/aair/ao-2010-066.aspx
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2010/08/31/BA021F67JO.DTL&tsp=1
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/travel/aircrafts-engine-shut-down-in-2006/story-e6frfhb6-1225912819352?from=public_rss
http://www.avherald.com/h?article=4305467b&opt=0
https://flightaware.com/live/flight/QFA74/history/20100831/0610Z/KSFO/YSSY
https://www.theage.com.au/travel/travel-news/exploding-qantas-engine-turbines-broke-off-20101025-170b3.html?autostart=0

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
31-Aug-2010 11:19	Geno	Added
01-Sep-2010 01:06	slowkid	Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Total occupants, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
01-Sep-2010 01:11	slowkid	Updated [Date]
01-Sep-2010 03:05	Anon.	Updated [Registration, Source]
01-Sep-2010 11:17	slowkid	Updated [Date, Time, Aircraft type, Cn, Total occupants, Location, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
01-Sep-2010 14:48	harro	Updated [Source]
26-Oct-2010 04:29	Anon.	Updated [Source, Narrative]
17-Apr-2012 12:40	harro	Updated [Time, Source, Narrative]
09-Jun-2022 00:02	Ron Averes	Updated [Operator, Narrative]